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Top frequently asked questions

Getty Images creates, distributes, and licenses award-winning, royalty-free, stock photography; creative rights-managed images; editorial images; video; music and multimedia products. We do so through our various brands, including iStock and Thinkstock.

To use our content, you first need to buy a licence, then you can use that content in any way permitted by the terms of the licence, including in advertising, websites, blogs, presentations, video productions, podcasts and more. Our royalty-free files can be used in as many different projects as you want for as long as you want, within the terms of the licence. And the licence terms and price of our creative rights-managed, rights-ready, and editorial files are based on how, where and for how long you will use the content.

Our purchasing options give you the flexibility to license files using Ultrapacksor throughsubscriptions such as Premium Accessfor recurring needs. In addition, we provide custom tools and services that include research and licensing, digital asset management, content distribution and workflow solutions like ourAPI and plug-ins.

In some instances, yes, depending on the photo and how you intend to use it:

Embedding onto a website Photos on Getty Images can be embedded for free onto a website or blog as long as the photos are not used for commercial purposes (meaning in an advertisement or in any way intended to sell a product, raise money, or promote or endorse something). You must comply with the Terms of Use and you also won’t be able to use Getty Images embedded photos for the following purposes or in the following manner:

Any use that is defamatory, pornographic or otherwise illegal.

Any use that violates a stated restriction on the image details page.

Any use outside of the context of the embed functionality.

Broader online and offline usage On the iStock website, once you’ve created a free membership, you can download a free photo of the week. Members also get one free illustration, one free video, and one free audio clip every week.

On the Freeimages.com website, you can use photos for almost any purpose that isn’t defamatory, pornographic or illegal, as long as you follow the rules in the licence agreement.

In some cases, you may need to notify the artists about using their photos or include a photo credit for editorial uses. You can see these restrictions under the image previews, next to the Download button.

Note: In all other instances you will need to purchase a licence to use Getty Images content.

For RF licences, the pricing is based solely on the size of the file. You have a lot of flexibility in how you use the images, as long as you don’t use images for purposes that are defamatory, pornographic or illegal, and you can use them multiple times in multiple projects—forever.

In contrast, RM or RR licences are for specific types of use, and pricing is based on factors such as the nature of the use, size, placement, duration of use, and geographic territory. The price of an RM or RR licence takes these elements into account. Also, exclusive rights to images are available for some RM or RR products.

Editorial imagesLicensing for most of our collection of Editorial images is based on use such as size, placement, duration and geographic distribution. We also offer editorial royalty-free content, which is based on file size. Search for editorial images.

Prestige Our very best and most distinctive creative imagery. Pricing is based on the rights-managed licence model and determined by the usage of the product, such as size, duration and placement. Search for Prestige images.

For high volume licensing needs, we offer:

UltraPacksBuy set quantities of downloads for a volume discount on the licence price of creative royalty-free images and video, and most editorial images. Learn about UltraPacks.

If you would like an image to hang on your wall, please visit Photos.com, where you can find a large selection of stunning, expertly framed photography, shipped and ready to hang.

If the image you’re looking for is not available from Photos.com, or if you are looking for a digital file to use as an artist reference or to create a card such as an invitation to a private event, please refer to this reference guide:

If

Then

The image is marked as “Creative” on our website, including our traditional photography offerings such as lifestyle, landscapes and art directed content…

Note: The “Creative” label appears next to the image number when viewing the image’s detail page, or appears below the image on the search results page.

We offer one-time use licences for wall-décor or for use on cards. Please contact us for assistance.

The image is noted as “Editorial” on our website, including our news, sports, entertainment and archive content…

Note: The “Editorial” label appears next to the image number when viewing the image’s detail page, or appears below the image on the search results page.

Unfortunately, we do not currently offer a personal use licence for this content.

Yes. You can embed a Getty Images photo on a website or blog for free and without having to buy a licence, as long as the photo isnotused for commercial purposes (meaning in an advertisement or in any way intended to sell a product, raise money, or promote or endorse something).Learn more about embedding images.

Our website’s embed feature enables you to insert a photo onto your website or blog. When you embed a Getty Images photo, you are pasting a snippet of HTML code for that photo into the source code of a web page so that the photo appears on the site. Learn how to embed a photo.

When you see images or videos labelled foreditorial use, it means that you can use an image or video to report or illustrate events that are newsworthy or of general interest. Examples of editorial use can include magazines, newspapers, text books, editorial websites etc.

Editorial useimages and videos do not come with model or property releases. To use an editorial use image or video for commercial purposes — such as in advertisements, product packaging, or otherwise to help sell a product, raise money, or promote a company, goods or services — you must first consider whether additional clearances or third-party permissions are required for your project.

For assistance obtaining additional clearances or permissions to use images or videos for commercial use, we offer comprehensive clearance services at a competitive rate. Pleasecontact usfor a free initial consultation. Learn more about when you need a release.

Yes. If you are a teacher or student and want to use images or videos on the Getty Images website in school, university or college projects, we have licensing plans to fit your needs. Please contact us for more information.

Other sites offering affordable imagery that you might want to explore are:

iStockiStock by Getty Images offers flexible plans depending on your budget and the volume of images you want. You can buy credits, which you redeem by downloading the content of your choice, or you can buy a subscription, which allows a larger volume of images for download.

Freeimages.comYou can download photos for free and use them for almost anything as long as you follow the rules in the licence agreement.